The present invention is directed to a checkout system and more particularly to a system wherein an optical scanner and an electronic weighing scale are integrated into a unitary structure.
Present day checkout systems, found in supermarkets or the like, include an optical scanning unit located within the checkout counter housing for scanning bar code labels on merchandise items which are moved across a window area in the top surface of the counter. The optical scanning unit translates the bar code labels into electrical data signals which can be used to identify the merchandise item and its price. Further included in the system is a data terminal device and an electronic scale, positioned away from the optical scanning unit, for weighing produce and other types of merchandise which is sold by weight. In determining the price of such merchandise, the checkout operator removes the item to be weighed from the checkout counter and places it on the electronic scale for a weighing operation which results in the generation of data representing the weight. If a bar code label is not affixed to the merchandise, a keyboard entry into the data terminal is also required to identify the merchandise. The data so generated is then used by the data terminal device to calculate the purchase price of the merchandise, to display the price and to print the price on a customer's receipt.
Because the electronic scale is positioned away from the optical scanning unit there is an interruption in the flow path of the merchandise which causes a delay in the checkout operation.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a checkout system which will both scan bar code labels and weigh merchandise items in the shortest time possible.
It is another object of this invention to provide a unitary structure that will both weigh merchandise items and scan bar code labels.